About Me
Jessilyn’s love of life is infectious. Her warmth, openness and fearless nature, as well as her inspired approach to challenges, make her a special kind of Occupational Therapist.
She graduated from The University of Ottawa in 2018 with a bachelor of arts in Psychology and a masters in Occupational Therapy, and has since pursued a path which, daily, demands creative thinking and problem solving, as well as an abiding compassion for her fellow human beings.
Her practice is centred around mental health, and she is passionate about finding creative ways to use occupation and psychotherapy to support the recovery of those with depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries.
She has spent her life seeking new and creative ways to challenge herself and acquire new skills; she is never afraid to step into unfamiliar territory, which has allowed her build a rounded personal repertoire of therapeutic approaches. Her life experience ranges from figure skating and coaching to adventure travel to working with horses and farming.
She draws from this colourful background, as well as her own intuition, to meet each client on their own individual level — to cultivate a bond which allows both client and practitioner to explore options in a creative and fearless way.
What is Occupational Therapy?
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OT's facilitate occupations. The unique expertise of occupational therapists is to analyze what people do and what they want or need to do, and help them to do it. Occupational therapists co-create approaches with their clients. They are mindful of people’s rights, needs, preferences, values, abilities, and environments. They work with clients to support their health and well-being.
Occupations include but are not limited to:
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SELF-CARE - emotional, physical, spiritual and mental self-care activities like recognizing and expressing emotions, spending time in nature, exercise, etc.
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BEING PRODUCTIVE - going to work or school, actively participating in the community
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LEISURE ACTIVITIES - activities that provide entertainment, relaxation and personal satisfaction like hobbies, sports, gaming, socializing, etc.
How can Occupational Therapy improve Mental Health?
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I will always remember my first mental health case as an OT for a large rehabilitation company. She was grieving the loss of a close relative, and she cried every session, for the whole duration of the session. She had the support of a loving husband, a psychiatrist, her medical doctor and myself. After being off of work for 2 years, she started reengaging in crochet projects, seeking the right medication treatment, exercising, engaging in psychotherapy, normalizing her sleep patterns, as well as socializing. Occupations gave meaning to her life. She also started listening to music again and finding her love for dance and the live music scene in town.
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